CHAPTER 31: Bombing Rum

 

Gotcha!

The helicopter that took off from the rooftop of Delos High’s main building didn’t have any tail numbers, but that didn’t slow Homeland too much. They found the Bell helicopter abandoned in a small county airport, and per the tower logs, a Cessna Citation took off from that airport minutes after the arrival of the helicopter.

The Citation’s filed flight plan was for Orlando, but they didn’t quite believe that. They still sent agents to Florida, of course, but he also had the FAA track all Cessna CitationJet M2s out of Chicago. But per the FAA, there was no incoming Orlando flight that could be traced to a Cessna Citation.

As of 2017, there were only 2,000 CitationJet M2s built, so there weren’t too many of them around, simplifying a record search.

However, most of them were traced to their registered owners, including those that weren’t owned by their original owners anymore or were lost, destroyed, or under repair.

There were a dozen of them, though, that were owned by some Middle Eastern royal. Per records, six of them were parked in the prince’s private hangar, and six of them were under repair. The thing was, these six Citations had been under repair for over two and a half years already.

Using that as a clue, they had computers scour keyhole satellite photos, and they found six Citations parked by a small runway strip within the Cokeville Meadows National Wildlife Preserve in Wyoming, just to the east of Bear Lake, near where the borders of Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho intersect.

The Preserve was deserted of people so it was no surprise no one saw the Cessna landing. The landing strip was not on any official map – it was not an authorized structure. And, in the pictures, there was an adjacent structure which was around eight hundred thousand square feet.

This structure was also not found in any other map nor was it a structure that was on any government registry.

“I think we found it,” Hall said. He ordered more satellite photos of the area as well as several aircraft overflights.

“Okay. While we’re waiting, I’m going to arrange for us to fly over there.”

The director stepped out of the room.

Flight to the Boonies

“Doc,” Faye said to Dr. Penny. “We gotta come with you.”

“Faye, it’ll be really dangerous.”

“Dr. Penny!” Carla said, “Michael’s our friend - you gotta let us go with you!”

Of course, in the end, Faye was able to convince Dr. Penny, and she agreed and prevailed over Director Hall to let the two go with them. Faye was very persuasive, too.

In an hour, they were en route to Wyoming on a military flight that Hall commandeered.

They were still an hour out when the director got the pictures from the satellite and aircraft overflights. It turned out that the structure was a large castle. From the size, it was smaller than the Windsor Castle in England, but not by much. What was notable, though, were the gun emplacements, the anti-aircraft batteries, and the missile launchers.

Because of this, the director asked for assistance from the military. Idaho and Wyoming army and National Guard units were activated and should be at the location when they got there.

Director Hall, Dr. Penny, and their group landed in Kemerrer Municipal Airport, a small municipal airport to the east of the coordinates of the location. Good thing the airport was just large enough to manage their plane. They then took some military trucks and traveled overland, and by five AM, were already at the army’s staging area a few miles to the south of the “castle.”

The staging area was not much at the moment, but the army was doing a competent job, and it was already in operation.

It was obvious that they’d been discovered already. A couple of civilian planes took off from the airstrip they found and had flown over their location.

For their part, a couple of military choppers flew over their castle, and the army people started reconnoitering and mapping. Apparently, the castle was well fortified against ground attack and had serious air defense weaponry. The extreme size of the facility also implied that they could hold out for quite a while. Using ground penetrating radar, they also saw half a dozen underground tunnels radiating outward – maybe supply or escape tunnels.

As they were consolidating their forces, the military had been trying to contact Smith’s forces, but they couldn’t solicit any response despite the fact they knew they were capable: the military were detecting encrypted radio messages.

When a large convoy of National Guardsmen arrived on the scene and was making its way to their encampment, a rocket was fired from the castle and it hit one of the trucks loaded with men. The men from the other vehicles jumped out and scattered, some helping to pull out the men in the burning truck.

“Well, that’s torn it,” the current commanding officer said. “Call in the air guard,” he said, “and take out their rocket launchers and gun emplacements.”

Several attack helicopters came and started approaching the castle but were shot down before they got close. From there, fighter jets were called in. They fired their missiles from a distance and destroyed all of the castle’s missile launchers.

Thinking that they were safe, more Air National Guard helicopters moved in, but they were met with more rockets from hidden launchers. The decision was made to bombard the castle, with special emphasis on structures that could be hiding launchers.

Hercules Smith’s people started escaping like rats leaving a sinking ship. There were soldiers to intercept them but knowing there was no returning to their “master,” most of them fought to the death to escape. But since it was just a measly thousand or so, they stood no chance. What was on their side was that they were way more well-equipped. Even so, the professional soldiers outclassed Smith’s weekend warriors - it was more like a rout than a battle.

Those who thought to escape via the tunnels were easily picked off by the army, and they ran back inside.

For some reason, none of them thought to surrender. Dr. Penny’s theory was that, with their experience with “Hercules,” they felt they wouldn’t be allowed to surrender. By eleven in the morning, it was essentially over. The castle was in ruins and bodies littered the ground, especially around the six tunnel exits.

Carla and Faye stood, surveying the chaos, Carla crying.

“At least it’s over now, sweetie,” Faye said.

“What about Michael?”

- - - - -

Carla and Faye stood inside the field tent with Drs. Penny, Maia, Director Hall, and his people. One of Smith’s people that they captured alive gave them a cell number and they called it. They finally connected.

“This is Director Carter Hall of Homeland Security speaking to Mr. Hercules Smith.” There was no reply, and the video was off.

After a minute of no reaction, they tried the video again. “This is Director Carter Hall, speaking to Mr. Hercules Smith in the castle. Mr. Smith, please respond. Your people are dead or are in custody. It’s all over.”

With no reaction, Dr. Penny grabbed the smartphone and faced the camera towards her. “Erin this is Dr. Castellanos. Come on, dear. Please respond.”

The video suddenly switched on, with Smith in the video, in full Greek warrior regalia. “My name is Hercules!” he roared. “I am not Erin anymore! Don’t forget that!”

“Whatever you want. Listen - you can’t escape. All exits are sealed. The entire outside of your castle is covered by our gunners. So surrender yourself and bring out my student.”

“No!”

“Erin…”

“My name is Hercules!”

“Please… Surrender yourself…”

“If you want your god, come and get him. But I warn you, I’m not giving him up.”

“How do we even know he’s still there with you, and still alive?”

Smith leaned out of the shot and pulled Michael into the picture by his collar. Michael had a black eye, a broken nose, and bleeding. Smith then threw him away like a ragdoll.

“Come and get him,” he grated and then hung up.

- - - - - -

Drs. Penny and Maia conferred with Director Hall and his people, trying to think of a way to get Smith and rescue Michael. But after thirty minutes, they were no closer to a plan. Maia looked around.

“Hey, “ she said. “Where’s Faye and Carla?”

- - - - - -

The two friends were running towards the castle, both wearing backpacks. As they ran towards the castle, they stopped to pick up bits of equipment that were in their path. In a while, they had walkie-talkies, sidearms, and other stuff in their backpacks. Faye picked up one M27 automatic rifle with a grenade launcher. She gave the rifle to Carla and kept four handguns for herself. Faye also unclipped some bandoleers from some bodies they found with several ammo clips attached.

Faye took off the retro-fashionable but impractical parachute pants she wore, leaving her in safety shorts (which she wore underneath the pants) and combat boots. This allowed her to clip a couple of the bandoleers around her waist like belts, and shortened a few others, allowing her to strap them onto her thighs and biceps.

Carla whistled. “Wow. Lara Croft has nothing on you.”

Faye stuck her tongue out at her. “Come on,” she said, and they moved forward through the wreckage.

In less than fifteen minutes, they were already at the castle’s ruined main gate. Before they could pick their way in, someone shouted.

Carla swung around and fired her rifle blindly in full automatic. She didn’t hit anything but it made Smith’s surviving minions duck for cover.

That allowed Faye to pull Carla into the castle with her, and they ran inside.

When they stopped, Carla puffed, “Where do we go now?”

Faye closed her eyes, paying attention to the funny feelings she’d been getting. She could sense Michael. “We go this way,” Faye said, and pulled Faye with her, deeper into the castle.

Faye led them unerringly to what looked like an interrogation room and found Michael inside, strapped to a chair and half-dead. Carla ran to Michael and hugged him. Michael moaned.

“Don’t Carla,” Faye said. “You’re hurting him.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “What do we do now, Faye?”

“We bring him out. Let’s tip him back in the chair, I’ll take two of the chair legs, you take the top.”

Soon, they were retracing their way back the way they came, but in minutes, they were forced to take cover as some of Smith’s people found them.

After they had taken cover in an intersection, they returned fire. Though they were safe, they were stuck, that was until they heard other people firing from down the hall.

Dr. Penny and Maia ran up the hall, firing all the way, and ducked into their corner of the hallway.

“You crazy girls!” Maia said and gave the two hugs.

“How about Director Hall and the military?” Carla said.

“They’re somewhere around. We decided to go on our own.”

“How did you find us?” Faye asked.

“We just followed the firing. Nice outfit, Faye,” Dr. Maia said with a smile.

“Sorry, ‘bout that,” Faye said as she turned red in embarrassment. “My pants were…”

“I saw,” Dr. Maia said. “I understand.”

Dr. Penny checked Michael out. “He’s in a bad way,” she said. “We got to get him to a hospital ASAP.”

“How?” Carla said. “We’re stuck here.”

“Someone needs to stay and hold them back,” Faye said.

“Okay, you’re right,” Dr. Penny said. “You girls…”

“No,” Faye said, “it’s going to be me.”

“Faye…”

“It’s my fault, Doc. Michael didn’t need to go through this, and all these people got hurt or died because of me.”

“No, they didn’t, Faye. How can it be your fault? Erin is crazy.”

“No, I’m not, Doctor,” they heard Smith over the intercom. Somehow it was still working.

“So you can hear us?” Dr. Penny said.

“Yes, indeed. You have my leave to go, Doctor. All of you. Except Faye.”

“Erin…”

“I have suspected that I made a mistake. Your boy is clearly not anything special. He is no god.”

“He is, too, special!” Carla shouted.

“I thought Cora made a mistake,” Smith said.

“Cora?” Dr. Penny said.

“Cora Atanasos. She wasn’t much of a spy. Do with her what you will. I give her to you.”

“Who’s Cora Atanasos?” Faye asked.

“I think she’s one of the lab techs at the main facility in Athens,” Dr. Penny said. “I’m not sure.”

“You may go now,” Smith said. “Leave your goddess. I will deal with her.”

“’Goddess?’” Carla asked.

“She’s referring to Faye, Carla,” Maia said.

“What?”

“I am getting impatient!” Smith said. “Leave us! Now! Otherwise, my people will resume their shooting!”

They suddenly realized that Smith’s men had stopped shooting.

Faye made a decision. “Penny,” Faye said, “it’s okay. Michael needs help.” Faye’s referring to the doctor by name was a little… incongruous, to say the least, but they didn’t question it.

“Faye… I can’t…”

“Yes you can,” Faye said and gave her a kiss on the lips. That was… incongruous, too.

“Well…”

Faye ran her fingers lightly over Dr. Penny’s right arm. “Please.”

“All right.” Dr. Penny sighed. She nodded to Carla and Maia. “let’s go girls.”

Before they went, Faye gave Carla a toe-curling kiss. “Just in case we don’t see each other again – I just wanted to say I love you. And Michael, too.”

“Faye…”

“I’ll see you soon.”

Maia and Dr. Penny picked up Michael in his chair, just like the way Faye and Carla did.

For her part, Carla unslung her rifle and covered them as they walked down the hall. Carle didn’t know guns, but she looked pretty much the part.

Faye dropped her backpack, took our two fresh pistols from the backpack and replaced the clips with two from her belt.

She also picked another bandoleer which she strapped over her shoulder across her chest. This one was full of hand grenades this time. Five had the usual timed fuses and five were contact grenades. Faye didn’t know the difference – all she knew was what she saw in movies. She took a deep breath, stuck to the wall, and peeked around it. No one was following the girls. But then…

“Entaxei antres,” Smith said in greek, “tous dosame arketo chrono. Boreíte na tous kynigísete tora.”

Faye didn’t understand, but judging by the reaction of Smith’s people, she understood from context. What Smith said in Greek was, “All right, men, we've given them enough time. You can hunt them down now.”

The men originally after them screamed an ululating yell and started running out from behind their hiding places.

Faye thought they couldn’t trust Smith’s word. So she stepped out of her own hiding place and threw a couple of grenades. The explosion scattered them like tenpins. She brought out her two pistols and picked off the survivors – not killing them, of course, but just incapacitating them.

She stood her ground as yet another wave of attackers appeared. She threw another couple of grenades and it was a repeat of the first one.

There was a third wave but there were only four people this time. Faye thought Smith may be running out of people, yet he would throw his remaining people away like this.

After a few more minutes Faye decided to start moving. She decided to end this Hercules Smith.

She thought about that. It was arrogant that she would even think that she could do this. But it wasn’t arrogance: it was just supreme confidence. Inside, she knew she will make it – not “could” but “will.”

She didn’t know what came over her. For whatever reason, it was like something inside her clicked, and her worries about herself and self-doubts had been resolved, replaced by a quiet certainty that whatever she wanted or puts in her mind, she will make it happen. It’s been coming for a while now, actually. It was like the crisis had finally made things click into place. Why, she didn’t know but didn’t care. She was confident that she had stabilized now. She resolved to talk to Penny and Maia later and figure it out.

 

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